Shesternya
Shesternya is a community of retired raiders in the ruins of eastern Cleveland. Background In the Great War, an unknown amount of bombs hit Cleveland. However, what's known is that, when the bombs hit, the Innerbelt Bridge collapsed, blocking off and separating the eastern part of Cleveland to the rest of the city. Around 2080 many of the survivors of the Great War and the "great collapse", had become raider gangs, attacking settlers, caravanners, and scavengers in the area, as well as each other. This went on for nearly a hundred years, as the descendants of the survivors still continued to fight and send skirmishes against each other. The Fall of the Wicked Sometime around 2265 in the northern district of Shesternya, an individual from one of the raider gangs went rogue. This heavily armed individual inflicted massive casualties in the area, driving off the raider gangs' power there. Realizing that they would suffer heavy losses before they could eliminate this person, many of the raider gangs decided to join forces with each other to stop this unseen threat. Ironically, shortly after their alliance, all the raiders' leaders were assassinated. This threw their leadership into chaos, eventually ending with their disestablishments. Some tried to settle in the area, creating minor bars or hangouts for their kin, while some attempted to travel east. After this event, the unseen nuisance was never seen or heard from again, though a being with a similar penchant for violence would appear a few years later. The Rise of Demise In 2274, a local bartender was found murdered in his bedroom. He was decapitated, stripped to his underwear and next to a bloodied note. It read as such: "Yes. It is me, Demise. Do not fret, me and my allies are here to cleanse your not-so-fine city. Anybody who creates chaos, anarchy or is related to your elderly raiders, leave immediately. This city has a new dawn approaching!" The note was found by one of the bartender's colleagues, Maria Axelgior, and the news and threat was circulated throughout the community, making many panic. Many left in a hurry, reducing their numbers to 79. Maria's father, Bentley Axelgior, was a former raider, and a vicious one at that. Fearing for his daughter's life, he decided to investigate who was related to his old raider buddies. As a result, he discovered that one of them, Hank Anyksu, had moved to Painesville, and had ironically become a farmer. Gearing up, he said goodbye to his daughter and town, hoping that he may die honorably if he was killed. According to the legend, after three weeks, he made it to Painesville, and received many odd looks from its inhabitants. He found Hank's farm full of landmines, but managed to make it to the door. When he stepped inside, he triggered a rigged shotgun, and was incapacitated by the shot. Waking up, he found himself cuffed to a table, with his old friend next to him. Hank proceeded to monologue about his grand plan. Over the course of five months, he had successfully kidnapped every civilian in the city, and replaced them with his mercenaries. He also explained that one of his ancestors was a rich banker and gun enthusiast before the Great War. His gun stash had been given to every one of his descendants, and it was eventually passed unto Hank. He had done all of this to "tie up loose ends". Lastly, he explained that he was going to make Maria his wife, or slave if necessary, and was going to make her bear him children. After explaining the last part of his plan, one of his mercenaries, completely drunk, had activated one of the land mines. His corpse fell through the ground, into the basement, breaking the table Bentley was cuffed to. He proceeded to beat Hank viscously, until he cuffed him to the wall and shot him point blank in the head with a sawed-off shotgun. He then shot his way through the town, until he interrogated a thug about the hostages' location. He discovered that they were, shockingly, hidden in a basement in Shesternya. Upon learning this, he shot the mercenary and traveled back to the town, freed them, and let them resettle in Painesville, whose mercenary gang had disbanded after Hank's death. Bentley Axeligor was never seen again, though he is believed to have moved to Painesville after freeing the hostages. Though he never got his answers about Demise, his daughter has not been harmed by the spectre, unlike many that enter the bar where she continues to work. Currently Shesternya is currently known as a minor trading area, with raider veterans ready to tell their regrettable stories over a few caps. The caravans usually come northeast from Painesville, looking to briefly trade for supplies while on their way west. "Tourists" occasionally tag along with caravans to see "The Fallen Bridge of October's Wrath", while bars sell cheap and addictive liquor, often to the aforementioned caravanners and tourists. A local urban legend states that an apparent ghost, nicknamed "Demise", will hunt down anyone who prays on the weak, which has helped the locals keep the peace. This tale may hold true, however, as various criminals often turn up dead around town. Category:Groups Category:Raiders